Milking device.



No. 810,750. PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

L. G. HARPER.

MILKING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAYZ'I. 1905.

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iiNrTEn STATBQPATENT environ.

LEWIS eoonwm HARPER, or wnsronnsrnn, PENNSYLVANIA.

rename savior-z.

fipecification or Letters Patent.

a Application filed May 27,1905. Serial No. 262,677,

' Patented Jan. 23, 1906,

T at whom i-t'may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS Goonwnv HAR- PER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Westchester, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Milking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to'a milking device embodying a structure having an operation simulating the human hand and intended to overcome the disadvantages and injurious effects arising fromthe-use of that class of cow.

ymilking machines and devices embodying a operations.

suction organization. p

The cow -milking'device embodyin the features of the invent'op is readily yieldable, as well as contraoti 1e and expansible, and operates to grasp teats of various dimensions and exert a pressure onthe latter similar to that of the fingers of the hand to eifect'a thorough milkin and stripping, if required,

of the udder wit out the least inconvenience or annoyance to the cow to which the device is applied. The operation ofthe milking device is partially automatic to alternately squeeze and relieve pressure from the teat operated upon, and, furthermore, one, two, or more of the devices may be applied to teats and actuated to 're ularly draw the milk,

down to and throng 0p ositely positioned teats after the manner 0 ordinary-milking The device embodiesthe preferred form of constructionvand arrangementsof parts,which will be more fully hereinafter set forth and subject to a wide range of modification in the proportions and details without departing n'om the scope of the intention.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a milking device embodying'thefeatures of g the invention and looking toward the inner vation of the device.

portion thereof. Fig. 23s an outer. side ele- Fi 3 is'asec'tion taken lon itudinally lhrough t e' handle, or holder an; the ,.mo'vable'members of the device to illustrate-the mode of contracting the said members. 1

The numeral 1' designates a handle or shank which, for apart of its length at'least,

is tubular and has dis osd therein a vertially positioned cranlos aft 2, formed or provided with a number ofcranks 3, the number oi cranks being equal to the movable or contractible and expansible members of the device. This crank-shaft 2 may be operated by any suitable manual or other motive mechanism. The shank or handle 1 also has.

applied thereto a loop or other attaching means 5 for receiving a strap end to adapt at least -two of the devices to be'secured to opposite terminals of a suitable suspendingstrap which is thrown over the back of the animal to hold the device in proper position relative to the teats. At times, if found desirable or necessary, more than two of the milking devices may be used, and at other times only one may be employed to pursue a milking operation.

A series of flexible fingers or di its 6 are held at the front extremity of the andle or shank 1 and are preferably four in number, each digit er'finger being made up of a series of jointed sections 7,'c 0nnected by hinges 8, and have outer spring loops 9, which normally maintain the several sections 7 in positive relation to facilitate grasping or properly engaging .a teat. The fingers or digits are constructed of suitable yie ding material, and each has an inner cavity 10, through which a tape 11 movably ektends and isconnected to its corres ending crank 3 of the crank-shaft 2, and al the tapes preferably plete finger across the joint will be preferably 1n the form of a contmuous web 12, and as the -material of which the several fingers are composed must have a yielding action or be sufficiently elastic to meet the contingencies of milking operations, especially in View of the ass over a guide-roller 4. The inner side 0 each com- 5 necessary relaxation of the fingers, the web lar y to the four main fingers, of the human A hand and the finger or digit 13 taking the-place of the thumb. This digit or finger 13 is also made up of jointed sections 14, which are movably attached to each other by suitable means and also to the handle or shank, and connected thereto are adjusting-rods 15,.which extend rearwardly over the adiacent side of the handle or shank and thron lugs 1 6, bc

' same.

tween which the ends 17 are held and engage the rear ends of the said rods, which are suit except the upper one, which is slightly in ad- Vance or projects inwardly a greater distance than those below for obvious reasons in the milkingoperation or to simulate the grasp of the human hand to insure a downdrawing and flow of milk through the teat.

' In the operation of the device the fingers or digits 6 While open are placed around the teat, the finger or digit- 13. being braced a ainst an opposite portion of the latter.

he crank-shaft 2 is then actuated, and tapes 11 are equally drawn rearwardly by the cranks 3 of said shaft, and the fingers or digits 6 are contracted and caused to surround the teat and exert a pressure sufficient to bring the milk down from the udder into and expel it from the teat. This contraction of the fingers or digits 6 is efi'ected when the cranks 3 are being projected in a rearward direction, and as soon as said cranks be in to move forwardly the tapes are gradual y relaxed, and the fingers automatically move outwardly and are restored to normal position by the springs 9.

The material of which the several parts of the improved milking device are composed may be varied at will, and likewise the mode of application to the teat may be modified to accommodatevarious contingencies that may arise. In some instances suitable mechanism may be attached to the crankshaft 2 of the milking device for operating the same, and means may be employed for hold'ng the handles or shanks 1 in a fixed osition with respect to the teats engaged. T iis mechanism and means, however, is not essential to the operation of the milking device, as the latter is not limited to any particular mode of operating and applying the At times it may be desirable to use more than one opposing finger or digit similar to that designated by the numeral 13 to accommodate variations in dimensions of teats. lhc-invention is therefore to be understood as contemplating the use of more than one opposing finger or digit.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is' 1. ill milking device having a series of contractible and relaxingfingers composed of jointed sections.

4. A milking device having a plurality of e position and coop- I fingers simulating the fin ers of the human hand and composed of jointed sections, the finger representing the thumb being held in opposing or resisting positionto the remainingfingers, which have a'contraeting and relaxing movement imparted thereto.

5. A milking device having a plurality of fingers made up of jointed sections, spring devices'cooperating with said sections to relax the same and restore them to normal posit on, and means connected to the fingersv for contracting them against resistance of the spring devices. 6. A milking device having a plurality of fingers made up of joint d sections provided with spring meansfor restoring them to nor mal position when relaxed, a resistance meanscooperating with the first-named fingore, and fingers.

7. A milking device having a plurality of fingers provided with means for restoring them to'normal position, tapes connected to the fingers for contracting the same, means for draw ng the tapes to contract the fingers, and a resistance-finger cooperating with the contractible fingers and having a fixed adjusted position.

8. In a milking device, a plurality of contractible and 'expansible fingers,'a resistancefinger cooperating therewith and arranged in opposition thereto, contracting tapes attached to the fingers, and a crank-shafthaving a series of cranks to which the tapes are secured. I

9. A milking device having a plurality of contractible and expansible fingers, and a means for contracting the latter single resistance-finger having adjusting IIGSSQS.

LEWIS GOODWIN HARPER. Witnesses:

DAVIS HAUSE, ADA J. TowNsENn. 

